Television – The EMFhttps://www.theemf.org
The Every Mind FainThu, 07 Mar 2019 23:15:30 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=5.0.4TV Show Reviews Sealab 2021https://www.theemf.org/tv-show-reviews-sealab-2021/
Wed, 13 Feb 2019 15:22:39 +0000https://www.theemf.org/tv-show-reviews-sealab-2021/“Sealab 2021” is a revival of the old cartoon “Sealab 2020”. But the thing is, it’s not that much of a rival. It’s basically Sealab 2020 with all of the Sealab characters. But the thing it pokes fun at the characters and the people on Sealab do things very out of character or OOC which …

]]>“Sealab 2021” is a revival of the old cartoon “Sealab 2020”. But the thing is, it’s not that much of a rival. It’s basically Sealab 2020 with all of the Sealab characters. But the thing it pokes fun at the characters and the people on Sealab do things very out of character or OOC which is the funniest thing. Though it might seem to be something unoriginal at first but it’s very fresh and original. Sealab 2021 is by far one of the funniest things I have ever seen in my life.

This cartoon is one of the shows that is currently on the Sunday night Adult Swim block on Cartoon Network. It has the original characters of Sealab 2020 but they poke fun at those characters. There’s so many things that are explored in the cartoon. Also the racial stereotyping is pretty hiliarious. Every episode that I watch has me laughing for a good half hour. Whenever I want to relax, I would watch Sealab 2021 if it’s Sunday night for a good laugh. After a good laugh, I felt so much better.

I very much enjoyed the new portrayals of the characters. Captain Murphy is portrayed as very deranged and unfit for command as it was proven. He ended up destroying all of Sealab at the end of just every episode. Murphy is pretty incompetent and very insane. This is one person that’s pretty deranged and pretty childish. In a sense, Murphy is pretty much my favorite character. He complains about his missing Happy Cake overn which Sparks hid to drive him even more insane. Then he pirated radio signals for a pirate radio station which eventually had the FCC destroy Sealab with depth charges.

Debbie DuPree known as “White Debbie” is portrayed as the token white female and dumb blonde of the crew. That’s another funny stereotype that’s portrayed. In a sense, Debbie seems to be the most hated person in all of Sealab. Yet, she can be pretty slutty at times.

Stormy is portrayed as a retard which is funny. He’s by far the dumbest member in all of Sealab. Also, his stupidity has caused Sealab to get blown up on several occasions.

Quinn is my favorite character. He’s the most intelligent member of the crew and is the token black guy. Of all the members, Quinn is the only one with the intelligence and the common sense. But nobody else listens to him except for Marco who seems to be the other only intelligent member of Sealab.

Sparks has been portrayed as a schemer. However, they decided to make a play since Sparks is the radio operator. His sits on his butt most of the time on the office chair. Everywhere Sparks goes, he’s on his chair. One episode talks about how Sparks has these movie deals. When Sparks acts in those movies, he’s still sitting in his chair. He’s my other favorite character because he’s always causing all sorts of chaos.

Marco is the stereotypical muscular Latino lover who tries to get with the women on Sealab but fails. Since Estrada voices marco, there are a lot of refences to the old 1980s TV show called “CHiPs”. Without Marco, Quinn would probably go nuts. Of all the members, Marco is the most calm and level headed of the bunch.

The characters have been humorously made into the strereotypes. Though stereotyping is wrong, the creators of Sealab 2021 managed to put stereotyping in a very funny light. It’s non-canon and the continuity of the series is ignored which is pretty funny as well. Also, the characters are killed in almost every episode but they’re still alive in the next episode and so forth.

It’s pretty random humor. If you like randomness, then check out Sealab 2021.

]]>Showtime Channel and its Negativity toward Christianityhttps://www.theemf.org/showtime-channel-and-its-negativity-toward-christianity/
Wed, 13 Feb 2019 12:55:19 +0000https://www.theemf.org/showtime-channel-and-its-negativity-toward-christianity/I would like to think that “negativity” is a bit of a gross generalization. Now, I know that a lot of the subject matter on Showtime might annoy the conservatives (Homosexuals, Drugs, and free thinkers, oh my!) but just because a lot of antagonists on the show are Christian Conservatives doesn’t make mean they’re anti-Christian. …

]]>I would like to think that “negativity” is a bit of a gross generalization. Now, I know that a lot of the subject matter on Showtime might annoy the conservatives (Homosexuals, Drugs, and free thinkers, oh my!) but just because a lot of antagonists on the show are Christian Conservatives doesn’t make mean they’re anti-Christian. They’re just trying to market to their target audience.

In order to understand why that audience is we have to look at the parent company of Showtime Networks, Viacom. Viacom owns Comedy Central, VH1, BET, eMpTy Vee, Nickelodeon, and until recently CBS and UPN. The target audience is either the young and impressionable or minorities such as African Americans or the Gay/Lesbian crowd. The shows are aimed at keeping those folks amused so that they’ll keep tuning in, keeping the ratings high and helping them rake in billions in advertising revenues/cable dues. It’s basic marketing.

Also, by showing “edgy” television like this it keeps up the controversy. Just think of how this title and mentioning shows like “Queer as Folk” (a show where gay people are the heroes) or “Weeds” (where a single mom has to support her family by selling pot – ooooo! It’s MUST see Tv) will convince people to either to tune in or rush out and buy the DvD sets. If the shows get mentioned by Conservative media as being “horrible and evil” it will make people curious about it. As the saying goes there’s no such thing as bad publicity.

]]>Haven is a Syfy Hithttps://www.theemf.org/haven-is-a-syfy-hit/
Wed, 13 Feb 2019 09:47:42 +0000https://www.theemf.org/haven-is-a-syfy-hit/With its debut episode on July 9th 2010, Haven, a SyFy original series loosely based off the novella “The Colorado Kid” by Stephen King is a science fiction show that is based in the small town of Haven, Maine. Featuring Emily Rose (Jericho and Brothers and Sisters as FBI agent Audrey Parker, the story follows …

]]>With its debut episode on July 9th 2010, Haven, a SyFy original series loosely based off the novella “The Colorado Kid” by Stephen King is a science fiction show that is based in the small town of Haven, Maine. Featuring Emily Rose (Jericho and Brothers and Sisters as FBI agent Audrey Parker, the story follows her journey to Haven on a case, but her curiosity leads her to wanting to know more about the town and it’s supernatural occurrences. While the town is full of people with these supernatural abilities, the town is also faced with the ‘troubles.’

Nathan, the police chief’s son, also has a supernatural ability to where he cannot feel anything. These troubles are around many of the neighborhood but a lot of them are hush and covered over by the police department, the newspaper department and the church members.

While on her first case in the town, she finds herself helping a troubled and wanting to continue on after her assignment. Soon after the first episode Audrey finds herself on the police staff working more with cases that involve the troubles.

She becomes friends with more of the town’s residents adding depth to the storyline and bringing forward the story of the Colorado Kid and his ties to the town. Who is Audrey, and what is her connection to this man, and the town. Through the shows first season and now its second, the story of Audrey Parker, the Colorado kid, as well as the troubles is known.

If a television viewer is in to science fiction or Stephen King stories this is the perfect show to watch. The friendships within the show, the character’s personalities and the relationships that are formed will all draw a person in. This show is not only a science fiction but a story of friendship, love, and devotion to family and friends.

Each week a new trouble is introduced and the main story of the Colorado kid and Audrey Parker’s past is brought in to play. Parker learns more about herself and her past throughout season one, and who she really is. Through the help of her new found partner and friends she will begin to piece the puzzle of her own life and troubles together.

Currently in its second season Haven is growing and well enjoyed from fans across the world. Learn more about Haven and catch up through Netflix, Hulu, or on SyFy. Give this show a chance and it will become one of your weekly watches.

]]>TV Show Reviews the Father Dowling Mysterieshttps://www.theemf.org/tv-show-reviews-the-father-dowling-mysteries/
Wed, 13 Feb 2019 06:57:36 +0000https://www.theemf.org/tv-show-reviews-the-father-dowling-mysteries/An American television mystery drama, Father Dowling Mysteries ran from 1987 to 1991. Dealing with Father Dowling’s crime adventures and investigations, the show was first broadcast on NBC and then moved onto ABC for its last two seasons, in 1989. Created by Ralph McInery, the crime series has a delightfully refreshing premise, and it succeeds …

]]>An American television mystery drama, Father Dowling Mysteries ran from 1987 to 1991. Dealing with Father Dowling’s crime adventures and investigations, the show was first broadcast on NBC and then moved onto ABC for its last two seasons, in 1989. Created by Ralph McInery, the crime series has a delightfully refreshing premise, and it succeeds in following through.

Father Frank Dowling (played by Tom Bosley), a Catholic priest who keeps stumbling accidentally over murders and other types of severe crimes, finds himself in every episode to have to solve another mystery case. Living in Chicago, Illinois, Father Dowling is assisted in his various cases by Sister Stephanie Steve Oskowski (portrayed by Tracy Nelson), a wise nun who has gained experience from having been raised in a rough neighbourhood. Knowing the street’s law and language, she also knows how to use guns and fast cars.

The two main actors, Tom Bosley and Tracy Nelson, offer smooth and interesting performances and make their characters highly engaging. Very convincing and, with a dark but effective sense of humour, rather unconventional, Father Frank Dowling and Sister Steve succeed in bringing their scripted characters to life. Assisted by a colourful supporting cast, including James Stephens as Father Philip Prestwick and Mary Wickes as Marie Murkin, the show’s two leads are not in this alone. With everyone passing through the series offering the audience an exciting and amusing performance, Father Dowling Mysteries has certainly something good to offer.

A well-written screenplay by Ralph McInery offers intriguing stories and sub-plots, well developed characters and a somewhat superficial but catchy dialogue, with catchphrases and predictable comebacks. Father Dowling’s famous catchphrase “could you take 10 o’clock Mass? I’ve got a murder to solve” is a line that is repeated often throughout the seasons and that any dedicated fan of the show still quotes. And although this slightly predictable and made-for-television dialogue can reach the verge of becoming clichéd at times, still the result is satisfactory and entertaining.

Featuring many prominent guest stars over the years, such as Leslie Nielsen, David McCallum, David Warner, Kurt Fuller, Ivan Nixon and Andreas Katsulas, Father Dowling Mysteries wrapped after three seasons, which contained 43 episodes and a TV movie. A good quality detective mystery show, with a highly intelligent sense of humour and a family-friendly direction that does not allow any crime horror onto the screen, Father Dowling Mysteries is certainly worth watching.

]]>American Idol Idol Controversies Chris Daughtry Elliot Yamin Idol Votinghttps://www.theemf.org/american-idol-idol-controversies-chris-daughtry-elliot-yamin-idol-voting/
Tue, 12 Feb 2019 23:34:08 +0000https://www.theemf.org/american-idol-idol-controversies-chris-daughtry-elliot-yamin-idol-voting/Americans love a good controversy. Seriously, isn’t that why we love Reality TV? Good (reality) TV thrives on controversy, and American Idol is no exception. In fact, it may be the standard in terms of voting controversies. Controversy abounds on and off the set of Idol, mainly as it applies to voting. The controversies crop …

]]>Americans love a good controversy. Seriously, isn’t that why we love Reality TV? Good (reality) TV thrives on controversy, and American Idol is no exception. In fact, it may be the standard in terms of voting controversies.

Controversy abounds on and off the set of Idol, mainly as it applies to voting. The controversies crop up time and again and for different reasons. Some are merely human error, while some are the things that fuel conspiracy theory nuts. The controversies cover acts of God, technology, nefarious behavior and human error, among others. Here are a few:

MOTHER NATURE

In Season Three, many Idol fans think Jennifer Hudson was robbed of the Idol title because Mother Nature stepped in and snatched it away from her. Bad weather had downed the phone lines in Chicago, Hudson’s hometown. Her loved ones couldn’t vote, and the votes would not be delayed.

TECHNOLOGY

It’s not a case of one man, one vote on Idol. This covers a few categories: System overload, speed dialing, texting, system overload and hackers.

-System overload. If you are calling using your telephone, the law of physics (so to speak) dictates that only so many calls can be handled-the amount the system was set up to handle. So when it’s a hotly-contested event, that system suffers overload.

In the second season’s battle between Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken, each of the two contestants had his own phone number, per American Idol policy. Host Ryan Seacrest reported that the winner gained less than 1 percent more votes than the other.

The controversy involves the one person, one vote concept. It just doesn’t exist with American Idol. During season two a Pennsylvania voter claimed to have telephoned 500-600 times to vote for Clay Aiken. She said no matter how often she called, she couldn’t place her vote. So she didn’t even get the one call/one vote for all of her 500 plus times dialing. She wasn’t alone. Given the margin of the win, those calls that wouldn’t go through would have made a major difference.

-Speed dialing. This is the precursor to the above.
It’s just common sense that if a person has to manually dial, while another can hit redial or speed dial, the odds are in favor of the person using technology getting through. This also leads to another problem. The people with speed dialing can jam the phone lines in a way that calls won’t make it in. They don’t have to be voting for someone, necessarily; they just have to keep calling to jam the lines so others’ calls can’t get through-and be counted.

-Text Messaging. It seems that while the phone lines get jammed up, and you can only vote as often as you can get through. With texting, it is different. The text will count. Not all of us have come into the text messaging age. This also falls into the demographic glitch.

It’s not just the power outages or the weird technological flukes that can skew the voting. Technology still plays a role, but it’s more in that some know how to use the system while others don’t. There are those of us who choose our favorite Idol and naively go the phone to place our vote along with the million so of others like us. Our vote is as important as anyone else’s. That’s the American way. And that’s true. It’s just not the American Idol way. American Idol way has to contend with technological advances such as re-dialing and speed dialing.

A quick Web search shows programs available (for a fee) that will allow you to make your American Idol votes go into overdrive. On one site, for $14.95, you’ll get a system that allows you to vote, vote and vote again. According to the ad on the site: “It doesn’t quit or get mad.”

-Others. This doesn’t even touch hackers and the concept of entering “bots” into the voting process. If hackers can interject viruses into our computers and worm their way into major banks and the like, is it so implausible that they’ve figured out ways to double and triple their voting power. Ironically, they probably didn’t even give a rip who won the contest. It was all about the ability to control the outcome

HUMAN ERROR

On several seasons human error has played into the voting outcome. Basically, a voter called to vote for a favorite only to find out that his/her vote went to another contestant. While the phone numbers matched the contestants, sometimes the letters that correspond to the numbers didn’t. Voters votes counted for the wrong contestant. That wasn’t corrected for West Coast viewers, so it stood.

Even when the correct phone number was called, some claim the system has its problems. Chris Daughtry (Season five) fans started a petition that had upwards of 16,000 signatures addressing just this issue. Voters said their call was rerouted to the wrong person. Fans said when they called to vote for Daughtry, they were greeted by Katharine McPhee’s voice, thanking them for the vote. Often they called back, thinking they must have made a mistake. Ultimately, their vote counted twice for the wrong person. Another group said they were never able to get through to anyone when they tried to place their Daughtry vote.

In this case, it may be a turnabout is fair play, however. Idol voters who called in for Elliott Yamin received a “thank you” message from a fellow contestant, Chris Daughtry. Yamin finished third behind McPhee which is still debatable.

HUMAN INGENUITY RUN AMOK

Most notorious in this category is the Web site Vote for the Worst, which does all in its power to get its readers to cast votes for the most abysmal Idol candidates. Founders were quite proud of the showing Sanjaya Malakar, they say because they promoted the hair-infatuated singer as the person to vote for.

It’s more than just a case of too much time on one’s hands. Odds makers actually make predictions on Idol voting, so there’s more at stake, and not just for the contestants.

DEMOGRAPHICS

Then comes the question of can there ever be a fair voting method here when the demographic of American Idol is skewed towards the young female. Do women actually stand a chance in the competition over a hot, male singer? Again, Sanjaya is a great example. Remember that tween girl sobbing in the audience as he made his way through the crowds, performing a very mediocre act.

Dancing with the Stars has addressed this by combining audience votes along with the opinions of the judges. It’s a sort of balancing at.

But that’s not what Idol is all about, is it? Simon Cowell breeds controversy, as does Paula Abdul. Controversy keeps them coming, and calling, just as much as the talent.

]]>Anime Reviews Peach Girlhttps://www.theemf.org/anime-reviews-peach-girl/
Tue, 12 Feb 2019 21:33:46 +0000https://www.theemf.org/anime-reviews-peach-girl/“Peach Girl” is a twenty-five episode Japanese anime series that is directed by Hiroshi Ishiiodori and produced by Studio Comet, with its original run starting from January 8, 2005 until June 25, 2005. It had originally aired on TV Tokyo. The North American license has been obtained by FUNimation Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Navarre …

]]>“Peach Girl” is a twenty-five episode Japanese anime series that is directed by Hiroshi Ishiiodori and produced by Studio Comet, with its original run starting from January 8, 2005 until June 25, 2005. It had originally aired on TV Tokyo. The North American license has been obtained by FUNimation Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Navarre Corporation.

Like many anime series, Peach Girl is adapted from a manga. The manga was authored by Miwa Ueda, withh its original run starting from 1997 until 2004. There are eighteen volumes so far in the Peach Girl manga. Before Peach Girl was adapted into an anime, it was adapted into a live-action TV drama titles “Peach Girl Mi Tao Nu Hai.” The original run started back in 2000 and is currently ongoing. There is also a manga sequel that is called “Peach Girl: Sae’s Story.”

Peach Girl is your romantic drama. However, there is an interesting twist to Peach Girl as it gives out an interesting moral lesson to learn. The story revolves around a high school senior named Momo Adachi. She really stands out in physical appearance in front of her peers. Momo has very tan skin and very light colored hair.

As a result, she inadvertently gives her peers the wrong impression. Her schoolmates spread all sorts of rumors. Such rumors include that Momo is very sexually promiscuous, that she is a beach bunny, that she is white-washed, and so forth. However, none of that is true at all. Instead of confronting Momo about it, they gossip amongst themselves.

The reason Momo’s physical appearance is like that is because she was on the swim team. In short, Momo’s a champion swimmer. The chlorine in the pools changed the color of her hair. At the same time, Momo was out in the sun a lot giving her the tan skin.

It presents the moral lesson that one should not judge others by their appearances. Peach Girl does a good job of showing the scope on the ignorance of a person’s peers. In reality, Momo is like any other normal school girl. Momo is pretty shy and sweet. But, not many take the time to look through the exterior. Peach Girl has a double-meaning to Momo. Momo means “peach” in Japanese and her hair looks like a bright peach color.

The other central characters include Sae Kashiwagi, Kairi Okayasu, and Kazuya “Toji” Toujigamori.

Sae is the contrast of Momo in both appearance and personality. Her skin is pale and her hair is dark. In short, Sae is the complete opposite of Momo in appearance. She gives off the appearance of being innocent, which serves as the opposite of Momo. However, this is not the case. In reality, Sae is scheming, manipulative, and malicious. She poses as Momo’s friend; but, she is not really. Sae acts like a copycat. All that Sae wants is to be popular. Through Sae, Peach Girl reinforces the lesson that looks are deceiving.

Kairi is a classmate of Momo. He is in love with Momo and is willing to compete with Touji for her affections. However, he is the complete opposite of Sae. While Kairi is carefree and flirtatious, he has much more honor than Sae. He can actually see through Sae’s faade. Kairi does have the reputation of a playboy. However, it is not the truth and Kairi hates that title.

Touji has been Momo’s love interest since junior high school. The two had remained friends with each other. However, Momo kept her feelings bottled up because Touji said in the past that he “does not like girls with tan skin.” He’s a good person but very hard-headed and oblivious. Through Touji, Peach Girl gives the moral lesson that one should find his/her own answers instead of relying on rumors.

The main plot is pretty much the love triangle between Momo, Kairi, and Touji. Kairi has feelings for Momo, who in turn has feelings for Touji. Touji develops feelings for Momo, who in turn develops feelings for Kairi. Sae serves as the main antagonist of the series.

In short, Peach Girl is a series with an interesting twist on high school romance along with valuable lessons to learn at the end.

]]>Doctor whohttps://www.theemf.org/doctor-who/
Tue, 12 Feb 2019 18:27:36 +0000https://www.theemf.org/doctor-who/Even though the decision has been made and all speculation has been put to rest until the next time a New Doctor is needed, the whole process of speculating on the varied possibilities is still quite an interesting exercise in “What Could Be” or perhaps “Who Could It Be Now?” would be more apt. Granted, …

]]>Even though the decision has been made and all speculation has been put to rest until the next time a New Doctor is needed, the whole process of speculating on the varied possibilities is still quite an interesting exercise in “What Could Be” or perhaps “Who Could It Be Now?” would be more apt. Granted, from the viewpoint of a Yank who only received the early Doctors beginning with Tom Baker’s Fourth incarnation (until numerous PBS stations began playing various adventures from the previous three as well), the whole business of being a Whovian is at best a hit or miss proposition.

However, with the advent of DVD’s we have seen more and more adventures of all of the previous Doctors being released and even though there are still many that have been lost to the various purges within the BBC tape archives over the decades, thankfully we still have at least somewhat of a representation of all of the previous Time Lords. Still and all, if one wishes to garner a rudimentary education in Who lore it is possible to do so and therefore, even though we may not reside within the fabled shores of the British Isles we can still have a fair to middling understanding of who and what a Tine Lord should be.

For one thing, there had been a great deal of speculation as to whether or not the Doctor should be a person of color. Pish and Tosh! The Bloke is an alien (half alien and half Earth human if the 1996 Fox Network television film is considered canon, which I cannot see how it can not be since the Seventh Doctor, played by Sylvester McCoy appeared at the beginning) and so how do we know exactly what is and is not possible during one of their regenerations? In fact, now that we have broached the concept of such unearthly deviations, what is there to suggest that his every regeneration must, in fact, be male?

Take for example the most recent Series in which David Tennant’s Doctor has a cell sample taken and a clone is quickly grown from it. The entity is a female and is quickly considered to be his daughter by Donna, the then current companion. Wouldn’t this Daughter, in fact, really be the Doctor himself, albeit his clone? And, this being the case, wouldn’t it be just as reasonable to assume that, in some future regeneration (and let us not forget that we are also coming uncomfortably close to his final regeneration since it was stipulated that Time Lords only do so twelve times) he might just as easily emerge from whatever current special effects are being utilized as a. . .drum roll please. . .female? So much has been speculated and argued over his being too young or too old (and for my money if I were a Time Lord I most definitely would prefer to come out of a regeneration as being younger than when I began, otherwise, what’s the point?) and to some degree whether or not the viewing public is prepared for him being slightly heavier in pigment than usual. Why not really shake up the status quo and have him regenerate into a young adult female of color? This is the twenty-first century after all!

Many fans, mostly I admit from the British side of the Big Pond, had been bandying about all manner of names for the next successor of the Doctor prior to young Matt Smith being chosen for the coveted role and I must admit that, for the most part (okay, okay, completely!) I do not recognize any of the actors’ names that they have mentioned, including Smith. However, one name that I did hear mentioned sounded like it might have had more than a little promise. This was Sean Pertwee, son of the late Jon Pertwee who wore the mantle of the Doctor from 1971 to 1974. Now, I must admit that, although I have not so much as seen a head shot of Pertwee the younger, the very idea of progeny carrying on in such a famous role appeals to me. After all, how could a young actor not be precisely the right “type” to portray a regenerated version of the same character that his own father once depicted. This said, in the future when the twelfth doctor is being cast wouldn’t it make sense (in light of all the gender and racial tinkering I have already suggested) that the young woman who has already portrayed the tenth Doctor’s clone or Daughter during the Fourth Series might very well be the ideal choice since her actual real life father, Peter Davison was, in fact the Fifth Doctor. Tends to make one actually consider Fate and or Kismet as a viable concept, doesn’t it?

One final point: other than the fact that the show was created, filmed and cast in Britain, was there ever any reason for why the Doctor (and will we ever be told his real name since we know he has one because the mysterious River Song from his own personal future whispered it to him during the episode “Forest Of The Dead”?) has a British accent? Granted, there is more than enough controversy over the fact that there might be an American companion/assistant in our favorite Time Lord’s near future, so perhaps the idea of his accent becoming more global or universal is best left alone.

For the most part I for one am simply grateful that it appears that he will still be hanging around for at least a few more years. Regardless of the face he, or she, is presenting.

]]>American Idol Season seven David Archuleta David Cook Michael Johns Jason Castro Chikeziehttps://www.theemf.org/american-idol-season-seven-david-archuleta-david-cook-michael-johns-jason-castro-chikezie/
Tue, 12 Feb 2019 16:05:02 +0000https://www.theemf.org/american-idol-season-seven-david-archuleta-david-cook-michael-johns-jason-castro-chikezie/The seventh season of American Idol had some of the best contestants in the history of the show. Runner-up David Archuleta alone can support that theory. But as the top 10 were announced, it came down to 5 girls and 5 guys, all amazing talents. But as amazing as the girls were, the guys really …

]]>The seventh season of American Idol had some of the best contestants in the history of the show. Runner-up David Archuleta alone can support that theory. But as the top 10 were announced, it came down to 5 girls and 5 guys, all amazing talents. But as amazing as the girls were, the guys really had it that season.

First and foremost, is winner David Cook. Once a bartender, now the winner of American Idol. And the funny thing is that he didn’t even plan on auditioning. He was just there in support of his brother, and he ended up winning the whole thing. Cook had many big moments on the show, like “Billie Jean” and “Always Be My Baby”, to name a few. Though it came down to Cook against Archuleta in the finale, vocally, David Archuleta should’ve won, but all in all, between progress, personality, and vocally, David Cook did deserve the title.

Second, but probably the best that season, is David Archuleta. Once a normal teenager goign to high school, now a famous pop singer, all becasue he made runner up on American Idol. Right from his audition Archuleta had fans. Young, old, girls, guys, everyone loved him, his amazing voice just one of the reasons. David’s personality, a shy and giggly 17 year old, made him even more endearing, especially to teen girls and grandmas wanting to pinch his cheeks. The adorable, little David deifnitely had an advantage over the rest of the contestants, and he didn’t even know it. Though he deserved to win, he has still beomce a winner in his fans’ eyes.

Next in the Idol guys is the laid back, yet very talented Jason Castro. His strongest point on the show was when he sang “Hallelujah”, and drew in tons of people. And with his funny, relaxed attitude, and interesting hair style, Jason quickly became a fan favorite, and is continuing to make his way into the music world.

Coming in at a surprising #8 on the season, is glossy Aussie Michael Johns. Known for his hot Australian accent and rough voice, Michael, along with everyone else watching, was surprised when Ryan announced that he would be going home the night after Idol Gives Back. Though he wasn’t a front runner, he did have a great voice and a big following, and still does today.

Last but not least, is Chikezie. Eliminated at the tenth spot, Chikezie wasn’t on the show all that long, but during the time he was there he proved that he deserved to at least get that far, considering he had audition for past seasons previously. It wasn’t a long ride for him, but it was an enjoyable one, as it was for everyone else watching.

So in sum, all of the guys on season seven were amazing in their own way, but the best were the Top 5, and they proved it every week.

]]>Ghost Hunters Academy Season 2 June 9 2010 Recaphttps://www.theemf.org/ghost-hunters-academy-season-2-june-9-2010-recap/
Tue, 12 Feb 2019 12:08:31 +0000https://www.theemf.org/ghost-hunters-academy-season-2-june-9-2010-recap/Season 2 of Ghost Hunters Academy is starting to heat up with the contestants. Last week was the first episode and it was quite boring to say the least but the group is starting to realize that this is a competition. The original group of 8 is down to 7 with Adam and Rosalyn being …

]]>Season 2 of Ghost Hunters Academy is starting to heat up with the contestants. Last week was the first episode and it was quite boring to say the least but the group is starting to realize that this is a competition. The original group of 8 is down to 7 with Adam and Rosalyn being made the team leaders.

This week the group of GHA went to Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, West Virginia, where the members of “Ghost Hunters” had previously investigated in 2008. There were a lot of experiences in this hospital of horrors during it’s time of use. The asylum had started its construction in 1858 with the completion of the hospital in 1881. The asylum operated for many years without the use of medications but instead used other therapies like labodomies, shock treatments, and thump therapy – or simply beating the hell out of the patients.

The claims of paranormal in the asylum include full body apparitions, voices, figures, and shadows – the typical ghostly haunts. The third floor held the worst of the worst. During the asylum’s operation, it was not uncommon to have 10 or more death certificates issued just for people who were either murdered or committed suicide on the third floor.

The teams broke up with Rosalyn and Adam leading their own team. Rosalyn and Eric (who was on her team) butted heads when he walked 20 feet away from the team. Eric and Dan were simply checking out an area where Michelle had seen something that may have been a man figure. It’s obvious that Rosalyn is taking her team leader position seriously but Eric is going to do what he needs to during the investigation. It will be interesting to see how these two work together in the future.

The only big screw up of the night was Dan turning off his EMF detector right after the group had heard some noises. Tango called Dan on it and Dan admitted he had a brain freeze. Because any small mess up could send someone home – this could be enough to dismiss Dan.

The fun of the night was Steve and Tango testing the groups on phantom smells. The two used cigar smoke to see if the groups would not only smell the smoke but search out the source. Adam’s team aced the test but Rosalyn’s team failed. Rosalyn completely dismissed the smell while Eric and Michelle searched it out. However, they still did not find the source.

The team took their evidence and sorted through everything. The evidence didn’t turn up a lot, maybe a female’s voice and a door moving on its own. But with people near the door, it’s hard to tell if it was paranormal or a breeze – either way, it was interesting.

The elimination round was fairly obvious as to who should be sent home. Dan did mess up by turning off his EMF recorder at a critical moment but Rosalyn’s performance during the test was quite poor. You never dismiss something until you have investigated the claim. For next week, Michelle and Adam were made the team leaders which meant they are safe from elimination. In the end, it was Dan who was chosen by Steve, Tango, and Jason to be dismissed, leaving only 6 in the running to become a permanent member of the T.A.P.S. family.

]]>Anime Reviews Flclhttps://www.theemf.org/anime-reviews-flcl/
Tue, 12 Feb 2019 11:48:28 +0000https://www.theemf.org/anime-reviews-flcl/One night I was watching “Adult Swim” on Cartoon Network and my wife walks into the room and I was watching a rather strange anime program. She looked at it and asked me “What are you watching?” and the only response I could give was “I really have no idea”. It was the first episode …

]]>One night I was watching “Adult Swim” on Cartoon Network and my wife walks into the room and I was watching a rather strange anime program. She looked at it and asked me “What are you watching?” and the only response I could give was “I really have no idea”. It was the first episode (of six) of “FLCL”, also known as “Fooly Cooly” or “Furi Kuri”. It was an animated show that made very little sense – and knew it.

As the show begins a young boy, Naota tells how nothing ever happens in his town. The most exciting thing is this strange plant (manufacturing variety – not botanical) that looks a lot like a giant iron – and it even generates steam once a day. The boy doesn’t really do much, but hang out with his brother’s girlfriend, Mamimi, who is using him as a surrogate after his brother had moved to the US to play baseball. Mamimi is a high school dropout that has no real life beside Naota. It almost looks like a pleasant teen drama and maybe one of those “coming of age” films – that is until a girl shows up riding a Vespa scooter and bashes Naota in the head with a guitar?!?!

Confused yet? You will be. Soon Naota has a growth coming out of his forehead. If he keeps it covered with a bandage or hat over it stays hidden, but one night the bandage comes off and out of Naota’s head comes a robot. The robot looks almost human – except that it has a large Tv for a head. The Vespa woman, Haruka, tries to destroy the robot, but it gets away – and later moves into Naota’s house to be their live-in maid. Now, we’re starting to get confused, aren’t we?

Each episode actually does cover some “coming-of-age” issues while Naota continues to have random things coming out of his head. Haruka is trying to gain control over Naota’s strange abilities, Mamimi’s trying not to light everyone on fire, and Naota’s family continues to be completely clueless. Oddly enough, by the end of the sixth episode the show actually makes sense. It surprised me too!

The show itself uses some amazing animation techniques that can be found in other anime programs, but also uses some scenes that look like they’re straight of a manga – and then you see the cast sitting around commenting on how cheap it is for the animators to do those scenes that way. There’s even a scene where the animation looks like something straight out of “South Park”.

All the while, you’re treated to music by Japanese pop band, The Pillows. The music is always appropriate – but in Japanese which means that unless you know the language you’ll have no clue what they’re singing – but, who cares? It works for such a great and confusing show.

It’s available on DvD and is sometimes shown on Adult Swim. If you get a chance watch it today – and remember as you watch it that the show does eventually make sense.